Couple married, divorced, and now dating again

Friday

Feb 14, 2014 at 6:00 AM

Kathleen Collins and Richard Barnes have reconnected after a messy divorce in 2006. The couple have been dating for about three months.

Staff Reporter

For Kathleen Collins, 64, and Richard Richard Barnes, 74, the old adage that opposites attract holds true. Collins loves to paint, while Barnes watches television or reads in his spare time. He goes with the flow, while she tends to analyze. While she is very talkative, he quietly observes.Their path to togetherness has been winding. Collins, a former nurse at South Shore Hospital, and Barnes, a retired Randolph police officer, met and began dating in 1992. They got married and stayed together for six years, but Collins' fibromyalgia pain put a strain on their relationship.

"I would lash out at him," she said.

They divorced in 2006 and were estranged until a few months ago, when Collins called Barnes out of the blue and asked him to meet her.

Both acknowledged that their marriage ended messily, but when Collins called, Barnes didn't hesitate.

"I have always loved her," he said.

They have been dating ever since.

Collins attributed their newfound success as a couple to years of soul searching and making an effort to improve her physical health. Where there was a lack of communication before, she said, they now strive to express their feelings openly and honestly.

"He was afraid to ask for what he needed, and I was afraid to ask for what I needed. Now, we know we have to be honest about everything," Collins said.

The couple spent Christmas together and enjoy spending time with their families. While Collins said she wants to be with Barnes for the rest of her life, both said they have no plans to get married again.

"When we were married, I missed a lot. I missed being happy in a marriage that should have been happy," she said. "Now, I think we could be happy anywhere."